Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that it would be 'unfair' to blame the club's poor form on the absence of Toby Alderweireld.
At the start of November, Alderweireld sustained a hamstring injury in the 3-1 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League and since that fixture, Spurs have only won two of their five games in all competitions.
However, while admitting that he would prefer to have Alderweireld available for selection, Pochettino has insisted that the Belgian international being sidelined has not directly led to the team's inconsistent results.
The 45-year-old told reporters: "I miss always all the players that are injured, like Victor Wanyama or different cases. When you have all available the team is always strong.
"I don't think it's to be focused on one player because when you win games, never do you regret the players that are out. That's not fair to the player who is injured and not fair to the players who are healthy and competing and doing their best."
Alderweireld is not expected to return to the first-team squad until the New Year.
Darren Plant
